Friday, 30 October 2015

Our new C.O. gave his first talk on Tuesday night. I had to listen on the phone line, but he said a hello to all of us listening in. Which was very nice. I did take notes (or possibly a drunken spider got into some ink and staggered across the pages of my notebook), so thought I would try to make a bit of sense of them and remind myself of some of the key point

His theme was: BELIEVE INSPIRED TRUTH, NOT INSPIRED ERROR and I guess the key Scriptures were 1 John 4:6 and Revelation 16:13, 14, both of which are quoted below.

The point being that the world is being filled with Satanic propaganda. It will lead us to destruction if we let it. So take care.

The Speaker read 1 John 4:6: "We originate with God. Whoever comes to know God listens to us; whoever does not originate with God does not listen to us. By this we distinguish the inspired statement of truth from the inspired statement of error."

And then he read John 17:3: "This means everlasting life, their coming to know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ."

Because, clearly, the more we come to know both Jehovah and Jesus, the easier we will find it to distinguish "the inspired statement of truth from the inspired statement of error". We will come to understand how Jehovah feels about things, what his standards are.

The Speaker then used the illustration of blue-screen technology - the way film makers can use the blue screen to create the most amazing and convincing illusions - such as a high speed car chase through the busy streets of rush hour New York. But it is an illusion.

And the world is full of dangerous effects and illusions. And he read these words from Revelation 16:13,14: "And I saw three unclean inspired expressions that looked like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the wild beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are, in fact, expressions inspired by demons and they perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the entire inhabited earth, to gather them together to the war of the great day of God the Almighty."

He pointed out that the expression "like frogs" should remind us of one of the plagues that Jehovah brought on the Egyptians. They made the land stink, it became unclean.

Demonic propaganda is clever and it's everywhere. And Satan controls all the world's governments. So that even though, hopefully, many of those ruling want to provide peace, prosperity and security for their people, they can't. They are driven by the demonic program.

The Speaker then asked us to consider some of the ways that Satan uses.

1. THE MEDIA

How powerful is it today? The internet has reached every corner of the earth, promoting attitudes completely contrary to Jehovah's standards.

2. POLITICS

Satan controls them.

3. BABYLON THE GREAT (The world Empire of false religion)

What comfort do they give their people? A sister reported that a grieving parent was told "God doesn't just want old people with him in heaven." And he reminded us of the words at John 4:6: "We originate with God. Whoever comes to know God listens to us; whoever does not originate with God does not listen to us. By this we distinguish the inspired statement of truth from the inspired statement of error."

The Speaker then spoke of some catchphrases the world will use to mislead.

For example, there is: "You will have to accept me as I am". I am not going to change, and I can't change."

We then read Ezekiel 18:25: “‘But you will say: “The way of Jehovah is unjust.” Please listen, O house of Israel! Is it my way that is unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust?"

We can change our ways if we listen to Jehovah and want to please him. We can follow the example of Jesus who always wanted to please his Father. So we should be willing to do everything we can to change whatever in us is not pleasing to God.

In matters of Sexual Morality, the world says: "Do what you want."

But we note the words at 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5: " For this is the will of God, that you should be holy and abstain from sexual immorality. Each one of you should know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not with greedy, uncontrolled sexual passion like the nations have that do not know God."

The Speaker then directed us to 1 John 4:6 again - one of the key Scriptures of the talk. "We originate with God. Whoever comes to know God listens to us; whoever does not originate with God does not listen to us. By this we distinguish the inspired statement of truth from the inspired statement of error."

We need to pay attention to Jehovah - and wait on him for understanding of his word. The Speaker used the illustration of a beautiful present someone had all wrapped for us. We would wait for the moment they wanted to give it to us- the right moment.

We then read 2 Timothy 6:9: "But those who are determined to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many senseless and harmful desires that plunge men into destruction and ruin."

Satan is promoting the lie of materialism, telling us that the more we have, the happier we are. And the Speaker pointed out that we can be poor, and still fall into this trap, if our lives are geared towards trying to get rich,

He then reminded us that Jehovah has given us free will. He wants us to choose to obey him because we have come to love him and to love his law.

The Speaker then reminded us of the warning at 1 Timothy 4:1: "However, the inspired word clearly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired statements and teachings of demons,"

Jehovah is trying to get our attention and protect us. The Speaker reminded us of Demas, who started out a faithful brother in the first century, but who then turned away from Jehovah. He forsook the truth and followed the lie.

Another slogan of "the world" is that "Higher Education is the only way to establish a career". Our young ones are under pressure if they do well at school, as they often do, as they are part of a congregation being taught by Jehovah, who is the Source of all wisdom.

We then looked at what Paul said at Philippians 3:7,8: "Yet, the things that were gains to me, I have considered loss on account of the Christ. What is more, I do indeed also consider all things to be loss on account of the excelling value of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have taken the loss of all things and I consider them as a lot of refuse, that I may gain Christ."

Paul was a man who had had the highest education of his day - he had been taught by Gamaliel, which was I suppose the equivalent of having an Oxbridge degree. A great career in "the world" lay before him, but it was nothing to him - just "a lot of refuse" - compared to the knowledge of the Christ.

He walked away from all the world offered him and followed in Jesus' footsteps. How do we feel?

Another catchphrase to be wary of is:"Armageddon will come, but not in MY lifetime."

We need to pay close attention to Jesus' words at Matthew 24:44, when he said: "On this account, you too prove yourselves ready, because the Son of man is coming at an hour that you do not think to be it."

Be ready. It will take even those expecting it by surprise when it comes! And the Speaker gave us the example of a brother called Emanuel who has 6 daughters. He wanted all his daughters to be spiritually ready, to prove themselves ready, so he organised his family to get together once every day to do the Daily Text and to study the Bible together. He has found it has made such a difference to his family.

Another way Satan can demoralise us and stop us serving Jehovah by using this thought: "Jehovah can never forgive me after what I have done."

That is the lie. But here is the truth, in Isaiah 1:18: “Come, now, and let us set matters straight between us,” says Jehovah. “Though your sins are like scarlet, They will be made as white as snow; Though they are as red as crimson cloth, They will become like wool."

Jehovah is on our side in this. He wants to forgive us and get us to safety.And he has provided the wonderful ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ to provide that forgiveness. We need to exercise faith in the ransom, and not in ourselves.

Another wrong viewpoint the world is putting forward is that "Pornography is harmless fun".

No. We must be like Job, and make a convenant with our eyes that we will not look on or dwell on anything Jehovah considers worthless.

The Speaker concluded with reminders about the dangers of bad association, especially on the internet.

I don't think he concluded quite as abruptly as that - I think my arthritic writing hand gave out just then (or the drunken spider passed out).

I hope I have the gist of it down though. If I had to summarise it, I would say its a timely reminder that the world is full of dangerous lies. We need to keep very close to Jehovah, and his word, and his congregation - or we will certainly be misled.

Thursday, 29 October 2015

Captain Butterfly has just hurtled off on his white charger to take Jacks a paper and see how she is. And he is going to drive her to the hospital later for some tests. This mysterious lurg she and I have is taking quite a toll on her.

I am still full of a cold, still coughing and sneezing, and worrying away about how I am going to get my magazine route calls for this month finished. I think my only option will be to spend the rest of the day writing out letters and cards and post them with the magazines. I will scrub my hands well before packaging them. I have my car back now, so I could probably go to the Post Office with them. If not, I know that the Gallant Captain will...

I am loathe to go around spreading this though, seeing what a toll its taking on Jacks. But I went to Waitrose with Col yesterday - he did our shop, I did Jack's - as I had discussed with her what she needed - she is having difficulty eating anything at the moment, so we discussed some soups that might be edible - but I felt a bit dizzy by the end of it (a tiny shopping trip!).

Its sad to miss the C.O.'s visit. He said, on Tuesday night, that they were going out to do street work on the Wednesday morning. Now, I have never really done that, and am very apprehensive about it, so it would have been a great way to start learning... however. The only kind of street witnessing I have done was in Sheffield years ago. We stood outside the local supermarket, holding up copies of the Watchtower and Awake.

While I was there a friend of Nute's, one of her colleagues from Academe, came cycling past, saw me, saw what I was holding up, and nearly crashed his bike in amazement. Nute said he asked her if that was really me. "Please tell him to stop and talk next time", I pleaded. No-one else did. So I could do with some training. And I would love to have observed the C.O, in action.

Maybe next time?

And thank you Jehovah for Captain Butterfly, who is taking such good care of us. And thank you too for a rather grey and rainy day which means he can't be called away on active duty with the Butterfly Regiments.

What did I do yesterday? We did do the shopping together. I made sandwiches for our lunch - Col's disappearing off with his into the wide blue yonder of Sussex, as he continued his hunt for the long-tailed blue - see his blog for photos, While I had mine in front of Bargain Hunt. And then I made a fruit cake. More cake-making lies ahead as the Butterfly AGM looms, and the coffee and cake interval is a fund raiser. We were a bit short of cake last year, so I hope to double my production. and I did some witnessing on line. A cyberspace friend mentioned one of the tragedies of nature - her cat's catching and killing field mouse. And I posted a couple of verses from Genesis and Isaiah, which tell us, clearly and simply, that Jehovah did not make nature "red in tooth and claw", and that he will restore the peace there was in Paradise earthwide. - Genesis 1:30,31; Isaiah 11:6-9

And I did my studying - the section about Abel that I quoted from in a previous blog. I was thinking that Satan could never have got away with the idea that Genesis is a "creation myth" back then, as the Garden of Eden was still there, with the fiery blade, turning and turning, preventing our return. The Society believe it would have vanished with the Deluge of Noah's day.

Tuesday, 27 October 2015

Not able to do much at the moment as everything makes me cough, so I thought I might say something about the book we are just starting in our current Bible study- and also perhaps add a favourite poem, hoping someone else will like it.

Captain Butterfly just rang. He and the Butterfly regiments are off on the hunt for the long-tailed blue - so I added an extra piece of cake to his packed lunch for Mark. And no sooner had I put the phone down than the garage rang to say that the Captain's car, which has been in intensive care for over a week, is ready to leave hospital. Thank goodness for that.

Though even now I have my car back... I don't see how I can get out on the doors and cough and sneeze all over people - or go to the Hall and cough and sneeze all over my siblings. So I will be housebound for a bit yet.

The poem I have in mind is one I have always loved. Its called "The Bridal Morn" - no-one knows the author. It is in the Anonymous section of my "New Oxford Book of English Verse."

But what a wonderful amazing thing language is. This feels likes a voice from the past, from centuries ago, speaking to me as clearly as it did then.

The Bridal Morn
by anon

The maidens came
When I was in my mother's bower;
I had all that I would.
The bailey beareth the bell away;
The lily, the rose, the rose I lay.
The silver is white, red is the gold;
The robes, they lay in fold.
The bailey beareth the bell away;
The lily, the rose, the rose I lay.
And through the glass window shines the sun.
How should I love, and I so young?
The bailey beareth the bell away;
The lily, the rose, the rose I lay.

Girls could be married so young then - as is still the case in so many parts of the world.

In harmony with Hebrews 6:12, which tells us to "be imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises" we constantly study the Hebrew Scriptures, along with the Christian Greek, and now the congregations worldwide are embarking on a deeper study, to help us to learn even more from the faithful men and women of old.

The book we are using is "Imitate their Faith". We are beginning with a study of Abel. Paul said, at Hebrews 11:4: "By faith Abel offered God a sacrifice of greater worth than that of Cain, and through that faith he received the witness that he was righteous, for God approved his gifts, and although he died, he still speaks through his faith."

So we taking an even closer look at what his faith is saying to us.

And the chapter begins this way:

"ABEL looked at his flock of sheep grazing peacefully on the hillside. Then, perhaps he looked far beyond his sheep to a spot in the distance where he could just make out a faint glow. He knew that right there a flaming blade was turning, ever turning, blocking the way into the garden of Eden. His parents once lived there, but neither they nor their children could enter now. Imagine the late afternoon breeze ruffling Abel’s hair as he turned his gaze upward and thought about his Creator. Would the breach between man and God ever be healed? Abel wanted nothing more than that.

Abel speaks to you today. Can you hear him? You might say that such a thing is impossible. After all, this second son of Adam died a long time ago. His remains are long lost, mingled with the dust of nearly 60 centuries. Regarding the dead, the Bible teaches us: “They are conscious of nothing at all.” (Eccl. 9:5, 10) Further, Abel never uttered a single word that is recorded in the Bible. So how can he speak to us?"

If you would like to know more, you can join your local JW congregation meetings. This book is studied at the weekday meeting which is usually held on a Tuesday or a Thursday evening. You could also ask your local congregation for a copy of the book.

Jehovah inspired and protected his word so that we could learn from it.

Monday, 26 October 2015

I am still down with this awful fluey cold - which started, ironically, just after I had my flu jab. Sore throat, coughing, snuffling, sneezing and general tiredness. The worst thing of all was not being able to sleep for four nights - as if the mechanism in my head that gets me to sleep had been switched off. I was on the verge of ringing the doctor to get some sleeping pills, as I thought I would go mad if I didn't sleep when, click, the switch came back on again, just like that.

Not sleeping well, due to coughing etc, but at least I am sleeping.

Very odd. And how we take for granted what our brain does for us until it stops doing it.

Friday, 23 October 2015

On Wednesday night we went to hear: " Looking back over 50 year's experience of birds, butterflies and orchids and how they have responded to changes in the countryside." a talk given by Richard Williamson for the Murray Downland Trust.

It was in the village hall, with slides. Exactly the sort of occasion I have been going to all my life, from my schooldays on. We had wine and nibbles, rather than tea and biscuits, other than that all was as it was. I loved it Does the memory of all those other occasions add to the experience each time?

Richard knew his subject inside out and back to front and gave us a funny as well as informative time. He had a series of bird whistles - some made by his grandfather, some by his father, some by him - and he painted a vivid picture of him making - was it the cuckoo call(?) - and the male bird coming straight down to challenge him and warn him off.

"Oi, are you looking at my bird?!"

And in the face of everything, he remains full of hope. In spite of continuing habitat loss, shooting, hunting, the over-abundance of deer and badger who have no natural predators, etc etc.
Could wolf packs ever be introduced to Sussex I found myself wondering? It would hardly be fair to the wolf packs for a start. How would they cope with the roads and all the traffic?

I am very hopeful too, but only because I know that Jehovah has promised that he will "bring to ruin those ruining the earth" - and because I know that Jehovah's promises never fail. Isn't that the very meaning of his name?

Other than that, I have done very little this week. Some studying, some housework, made us meals. Am down with nasty cold - and we are also down to one car. Jackie is ill too - much worse than I am. But there is better news of Ken, who may, hopefully, be out of hospital next week.

Tuesday, 20 October 2015

We spent the afternoon at Clymping beach, watching a coromorant drying its wings in the Autumn sunshine, and trying to find and photograph Stonechats. The sea was as calm as sea can be, and the sky was tender blue with fluffy white clouds. For most of our lives the Captain and I would have been in our separate workplaces on a weekday afternoon - so this is one of the lovely aspects of retirement, to be together like this.

Jackie is back. Hurray! And she bought me a silk butterfly shawl from Spain. It is beautiful and I hope I might persuade The Captain to take a photo. Maybe I will be flittering around the Hall in it at one of the meetings - dazzling everyone with - well, if not my own beauty, at least the shawl's.

And above all, what about the dazzling skills of the Maker of the butterfly, Jehovah the God of Abraham.

Two of my siblings called on Jackie on Saturday morning and left the October magazines with her. She has promised me she will read them.

Though we are both feeling rather ropy since our flu jabs which is worrying. She wasn't at all her usual self on Saturday and I had a sore throat. I stayed in yesterday, kept warm, and did some studying and some housework. I should have been at the field service group with Kathy this morning, but (a) she rang up to cancel, and (b) Col's car is in hospital, so he had to take my car.

A few years ago I would have and could have walked to the Hall. Alas, I can no longer. And this is the sad aspect of retirement- the collapse of the body.

While he was out, in my car, I made a carrot cake, as I realised the supply of freezer-cake for his packed lunches was getting very low.

Sunday, 18 October 2015

We got a surprise at the Kingdom Hall today as, just as the public talk finished, we were told to vacate the Hall at once. Maggie and I managed to totter out together, and everyone got out in an orderly manner, as I would have expected. So we passed our fire drill. It was a genuine surprise.

Jean and I had a good morning on the doors yesterday.

And I just got a lovely review of "Till they Dropped" on Amazon!

Very grateful - as it has inspired me to get out my dive thriller, give it its final polish and get it to my hard-working young publisher.

Jackie is coming over tonight for pie and mash, followed by ice-cream.

My Disaster Poem - this is the water element of my blog

Hi Tide
by me

The sea had long wanted to go into town
So early one morning it roared in
Found the arcades still closed
and battered them down.

I looked anxiously at the English Channel outside the window, but its very calm at the moment.

Friday, 16 October 2015

When you're diving at night, and your feet feel the bite,
that's a moray
When your hand's in the cave, suddenly you'll need save,
that's a moray.

I hope Captain Butterfly doesn't see it, as it will bring back some painful memories of when he was bitten by a moray when diving. Not only couldn't he dive anymore that trip, but he was on antibiotics, so couldn't drink either!

It reminded me of hearing the song "That's Amore". Dean Martin wasn't it? Loved it. And was it late Fifties, early Sixties? Can't remember now, but it is from the Pre-Pizza era up North, as I heard it as; "When the moon hits the sky like a big piece of pie, that's amore"

Whereas it is of course "like a big pizza pie". But I had never heard of pizza back then. Maybe there were some sophisticates who had, but I was not among them.

It also reminded me that I wrote a poem - well more of a verse really - about a moray eel ages ago. It was before Captain Butterfly hatched out in the butterfly version. He was an underwater photographer back then, and we were expats in the Middle East. The verse was, if I remember, about a photo of his hand stroking a fearsome looking moray eel that was looming above me as I typed. And it must have been a long time ago if we had a typewriter! We must still have the picture somewhere, but now, in our flat, we have run out of wall space.

The Moray and the Hand (by me)

A distracting hand

in front of the
typewriter

Is stroking a moray eel

Large mouth and teeth

Look at me

It’s as if the hand is urging

“There she is. Go get her, boy!

A
hundred codfish for your fee.”

Is it your pale hand,

O Sheik of Araby?

I managed to get out on the work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday - only for an hour at a time though, as my back hurts badly after an hour. There are still loads of people I haven't managed to find at home again. Carol and I had a lovely time yesterday, even though we got confused and called on a Do Not Call. But we got a warm welcome and can return!

Tuesday, 13 October 2015

They are not saying much today as the Channel is calm, so far. But I was thinking about what they ought to tell us, because I am busy dawdling through the Simon Callow book on Dickens and I came across this - something Dickens wrote when he saw the Niagara Falls.

"It would be hard for a man to stand nearer God than he does there. There was a bright rainbow at my feet; and from that I looked up to - great heaven! To what a fall of bright green water! The broad, deep, mighty stream seems to die in the act of falling and from its unfathomable grave, arises that tremendous ghost of spray and mist which is ever laid, and has been haunting this place with the same dread solemnity - perhaps from the creation of the world."
Dickens is awed by the power of the falls - by the power of their Creator, Jehovah.

So the creation is telling us all the time of its Grand Creator. Dickens felt that as he stood by the Falls. And walking by the sea, especially when the waves are wild, is a comforting reassurance of the power and the love that lies behind everything.

I think it was a quiet weekend for us. A lovely meeting on Sunday of course, and I am trying to think what I did yesterday, but all that comes to mind is a shopping trip, some studying, and some basic housework. (And a lot of lying on the sofa, reading my book.) Kathy and I were out on the doors this morning, but it was very cold. Not that I feel it much - too well insulated. But Kathy felt it, especially after a long conversation on one cold doorstep with an elderly and rather reclusive hippie.

He has exactly the right question: If there is a God who is Almighty and Good, why is the world so full of cruelty and injustice? We are hoping he will let us show him how perfectly the Inspired Scriptures answer that question and what a wonderful hope they hold out.

He said he enjoyed his talk with us, so will hope so, and must pray so. At that point Kathy was turning blue, so we were rescued by a sister, taken home with her and revived with hot coffee and some wonderful malt loaf she had made. Came home to find El Capitano was home for lunch - but the soup was already made, so no problem. Its steak, chips and mushrooms tonight.

Still behind with my return visits... I hope I can catch up - as much as one ever does - by the end of the month.

Saturday, 10 October 2015

Spent Wednesday morning with a friend in a residential home. We talked a lot about the resurrection. She was married in her teens and is now in her eighties, and cannot wait to see her husband again. Its such a contrast to the view of marriage as a very temporary arrangement promoted by "the world".

It was another lovely Autumn day, even though it was grey and a bit rainy. The greens were very green and everything bright with berries. Its supposed to be the sign of a hard winter come, but we shall see. I don't think its an infallible sign.

Though we could do with a hard Winter. We really need all the seasons, clear and distinct. Its just that, as you get older, ice is such a "terror in the way".

I finally made it to the Thursday field service group - first time in a month I think. And I am glad I did. We had a good morning - and a couple of interesting calls. One to an elderly gentleman, in his eighties, living on his own, but with children and grandchildren all within walking distance. He was saying that he has just about given up hope in God or any meaning to things, the state of the world being what it is. Or any hope of a rescue. The question in the October Awake magazine is just for him - or rather the answer is. So we left it with him. He assures us he has a Bible and will read the article and look up all the Scriptures. We want him to see how the Inspired Scriptures answer his questions.http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g201510/questions-to-ask-god/

We drew his attention to the first question.

I also placed a magazine with a young lad who answered the door wearing only a small bathtowel, a smile, and a mobile phone. Not sure if he took the magazines because of a deep spiritual interest or because he wanted to get rid of me and get back to his shower and/or telephone conversation. Probably the latter, but I hope to call back and find out.

Do they make waterproof mobile phones?

All this talk about politics, in the wake of Jeremy Corbyn being elected to lead the Labour Party has put me in mind of Hilaire Belloc's verse on the results of a general election.

The accursed power which stands on Privilege (And goes with Women, and Champagne and Bridge) Broke — and Democracy resumed her reign: (Which goes with Bridge, and Women and Champagne).

Tuesday, 6 October 2015

Yesterday was a butterfly paperwork day - and this morning we posted the Membership packages. It was a stormy day - the remnant of Hurricane Joaquin finally reached us. My field service partner rang up to say she had had a really bad night, as I did. Neither of us is young, or in particularly good health. So we cancelled.

I did get out this afternoon, but only for half an hour as it suddenlybegan to pour with rain. I drove back along the coast, and the sea was wild and wonderful.

It was a good half hour though. Both of the Care Homes took more magazines and I can deliver next month. And I found two of my magazine route calls at home. I hadn't managed to find them in for months. One is a lovely, but very young and exhausted, mother of two. She says she does read some of the articles in the magazines, and I said a little about the 3 important questions in October's Awake - important to see how the Bible answers them.http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g201510/questions-to-ask-god/

The other is a busy Philippino nurse who works shifts. She was at home, but on the phone to her fiance, so I only managed to say a couple of words. But she seemed happy enough to get the magazines.

Captain Butterfly has decided we need red meat - we are both very tired - so we had a steak for supper. He had most of it, but I managed to get a small bit down with a lot of mustard and fried onions. I really don't like red meat much. Except for when Jackie cooks us a roast lamb dinner. Then its brilliant, and I can eat loads. She says she will cook us one the next time we come for supper.

Sunday, 4 October 2015

... and apparently the England Team played it (Rugby) very badly last night and were trounced by Australia. Even I could see they were not playing well - and its all still a bit of a mystery to me. All I can say if I was on that pitch, any rugby pitch, and that ball came anywhere near me, I would run very fast in the opposite direction.

Well, I say very fast... as fast as my zimmering could take me. And, according to the Captain they might just as well have had me in the team. I suppose, to be fair, I could have lost the match as effectively as anyone.

This blog could have been headed: "Bread and Circuses" as with all the horrors and disasters currently going on, rugby is probably the last thing we should be worrying about. But there is nothing I can do about the other things either - except this one powerful thing, to try to get the truth to people. And I must try harder and get out on the doors more.

Christianity is called "the way of the truth". And Jehovah's inspired word has power to reach hearts and minds. It also assures us that a rescue is on the way. We, the children of Adam, can not get ourselves out of the sticky trap we are caught in. And the more we struggle, it seems, the worse we make it.

Jackie came round for supper - chicken and ham pie (courtesy of our new Pie Shop), mash, cauliflower cheese (by moi, from Delia Smith), carrots (Duchy organic, no peeling required), and custard cream with raspberries for after (courtesy of Lidl and Scotland). We also had a cheeseboard and some After Eight Mints. The Captain nobly did the shopping while Jean and I were out on the Field Service.

We then sat down to watch England lose to Australia... "I'm coming home with you!" I said, clutching Jackie's coat as the Captain foamed and raged behind us. She tiptoed out just before they lost (sensible girl).

That reminds me of a verse in the Bible I discovered during my initial study of it. It stopped me in my tracks at the time.

(Zechariah 8:23) “This is what Jehovah of armies says, ‘In those days ten men out of all the languages of the nations will take hold, yes, they will take firm hold of the robe of a Jew, saying: “We want to go with you, for we have heard that God is with you people.”’”

I was surprised that, centuries and centuries ago, someone had stated exactly what I felt, and feel, about the Jehovah's Witnesses. And, of course, it was the faithful Jewish remnant in the first century who came through, in the face of intense persecution. to recognise Jesus as the Messiah and to found the Christian congregation.

Friday, 2 October 2015

"I cleaned your spice rack", said Captain Butterfly, when I got back from the shops. "You will need to put your spices back in order."

Ah, I thought, how nice to have the Captain up and running again, as we share housewifely duties, apart from the cooking, which I do, and the vacuuming, which he does. And yes, I reminded myself, I must remember to put them back in alphabetical order. If I don't, I end up with 6 packets of one spice, and none of various others.

Of course, I forgot. And when making the marmalade muffins yesterday, I reached absent-mindedly for the ginger, which is always in the bottom right hand corner of spice rack, and found I had added garlic flakes to my mixture. I had to start again.

I have now sorted my spice rack.

Chris and Star - old school friend of the Captain, plus wife - came round yesterday morning for coffee and cake - and it was the meeting at the Kingdom Hall in the evening. We watched this wonderful little video about Jehovah's name - the importance of it. It is well worth a watch - takes about 5 minutes.

Thursday, 1 October 2015

Our balcony crop - thanks to George and Lilac Tree Farm. We had our usual veggie soup made with a home-grown pepper for the first time.

bloodmoon

I was out on the work with my siblings on Tuesday and did my last two magazine route calls for September on the way home. Not an outstanding morning, but at least I was out there. Then the Captain and I went to the talk on the Okavango Delta at the Wildlife Trust.

Yesterday I visited Maggie and did some return visits on the way back. Met a very nice girl who wants me to bring the magazines to her every month. An old school friend of the Captain's is visiting this morning, so, yet again, I won't be going to the Thursday group. I am trying to re-establish it as part of my regular weekly pattern, but so far everything seems to be happening on Thursday mornings - mainly medical thingummies it seems. And I am at home all morning tomorrow, awaiting the next delivery of my fearsome medication - waiting for The Man in the Chem Suit (well, not quite, but it has to be delivered personally, and go straight to the fridge).